The Power of Showing Up: Lessons from Dads’ Football |
I’ve spent the past year, together with another volunteer and the support of a staff member at Maccabi GB, organising a “Dad’s football” competition. From the abusive messages (some in jest, some less so), to the complaints from my own team about squad selection, to debacles of red cards, quarter‑final draws, and more, this has been an experience not for the faint‑hearted. But it has also been one of the greatest things I’ve had the opportunity to organise, and I’ve had an immense amount of pleasure doing it.
Since January, more than 350 dads have been playing regular 90‑minute, 11‑a‑side football matches. The social, physical and mental health benefits of regular sport have been written about extensively, and this competition has been no different. A “mums’ netball” group has now been started up too. It’s all very friendly (for the most part) and has given hundreds of people the chance to get back into sport when school and family life might otherwise have made it impractical.
Doing all of this voluntarily has sometimes felt like a second full‑time job, but it has also been........